Read More

But thankfully, Fasail Ali heard the bang, ran across the road and, with flames rising from the bonnet, managed to free her through the car’s sliding back door.

Now a relieved Ursula, who was given the all-clear after a precautionary check-up at James Cook University Hospital, wants to publicly thank all who helped her - and says she won’t be getting behind the wheel again.

Reliving the Saturday lunchtime drama, Ursula - a gran of 5 and great-gran of 20 - told The Gazette: “I was going to a Torch Trust meeting for blind and partially sighted people. I usually take a partially sighted lady in her 90s but I’m glad she wasn’t with me.

“I was pulling into the car park but I put my foot on the accelerator instead of the brake and went through a fence into the side of a house.

Read More

“As soon as I pulled up, I saw smoke coming from the right hand side of the car, but I couldn’t get out because both the front doors were jammed shut.

“I just thought ‘please God, how do I get out?’ Then a man came running across the road.

“The car was on fire but he managed to drag me out. I would like to thank him - otherwise I would probably be dead or seriously injured.”

That man was Faisal Ali - known as Ali - director of The Sleep Centre in Middlesbrough, who had been viewing a property when he heard a bang.

Ali, 32, said: “The front doors wouldn’t open so I knew I had to get her out of the back sliding door.

“I didn’t really have time to think, I just got stuck in. I knew I had to get her out quickly.

“There was a lot of smoke so I just had to drag her out. I was panicking a bit but I knew I couldn’t give up.”

Ursula, a former teacher who now does clerical work for various charities and community groups, also wants to thank Maureen, who went to hospital with her, Maureen’s granddaughter who called the fire department and ambulance, members of Torch and the emergency services.

And she admits that having driven since 1969, the time is right to stop.

She said: “My driving licence is due for renewal on my birthday in April but I won’t be renewing it.

“I was in the car for about 10 minutes while it was on fire. I thought it was going to explode - it was very frightening.